IATSE 3rd 2019_web

tify and come up with solutions for the
challenges of organizing and supporting
everyone from these widely varied backgrounds,
but who are also part of the
same queer community.
Boney then discussed his attendance
at the Pride at Work 25th Anniversary
Solidarity Celebration held in Washington,
DC at the AFL-CIO on June 20th.
Former Pride at Work President Shane
Larson was honored for his continued advocacy
and work for LGBTQIA+ workers
along with the Lambda Legal Staff Union
for their extended and ultimately successful
journey to their union’s recognition
and first contract. The Pride at Work
anniversary coincided with the 50th Anniversary
of the Stonewall Riots and each
one of the speakers and honorees recognized
these milestones by acknowledging
how far the movement has come, but also
recognizing how much work is left to be
done. Jerame Davis provided welcome
remarks at the beginning of the event
and specifically recognized the IATSE as
a key ally of Pride at Work.
Finally, Boney reported that he has
been assigned to attend the Equality
California Awards in Los Angeles on September
28th. Equality California is the
largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights
organization in the country and through
education, mobilization, and advocacy
it works towards electing pro-equality
leaders, passing pro-equality legislation,
and fighting for social justice in the
courts, not just in California, but across
the United States. They recognize the
role of labor in their work and see unions
as an integral part of their success. Key
political allies of Equality California are
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, CA State Senator
Scott Wiener, and Congresswoman Katie
Hill to name a few.
Boney noted that, as he was preparing
his report, he kept hearing, over and
over again, President Loeb’s words after
so many reports to the General Executive
Board that “Growth Equals Strength.”
Some take this to mostly mean growth in
numbers, but growth is also what attendees
to Board meetings learn and bring
back for the benefit of their members.
Boney said that he is grateful to President
Loeb for appointing him to the Pride
at Work Executive Board so that he can
learn and grow as a leader, bringing that
knowledge back to share, thereby growing
the knowledge of the entire IATSE,
making the Union stronger.
Boney concluded his report by
thanking President Loeb and the General
Executive Board, along with the leadership
of his IATSE sisters, bothers, and
kin, thanking everyone for their support
of Pride at Work and its mission to advocate
and provide a voice for LGBTQIA+
workers in the United States.
President Loeb thanked Boney for
his report. Advocacy and a voice are not
things that just happen, rather they are
the result of the Union’s presence and involvement.
Using the Union’s strength to
advocate on social justice issues is important,
and the International will continue
to be front and center in these fights.
RADIOHEAD STAGE
COLLAPSE CORONER’S
INQUEST
International Vice President and Director
of Canadian Affairs John Lewis
and International Representatives Peter
DaPrato and James “Jim” Brett reported
to the General Executive Board on
IATSE’s participation in the Office of the
Chief Coroner of Ontario’s inquest into
the death of Radiohead drum technician
Scott Johnson.
On June 16, 2012, during the setup by
a non-union service provider at Toronto’s
Downsview Park for the final concert
of Radiohead’s North American tour, the
roof of the temporary stage collapsed,
killing drum technician Scott Johnson
and injuring three other members of Radiohead’s
road crew. Over a three-week
period in March 2019, the Chief Coroner
of Ontario conducted an inquest into the
circumstances that gave rise to this workplace
death. IATSE applied for and was
granted standing as an interested party to
participate in this Coroner’s Inquest. As
an interested party, IATSE was afforded
the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses,
call witnesses and make recommendations
to the jury with a view to
preventing similar workplace tragedies
from occurring in the future. During the
course of the inquest, IATSE was represented
by Vice President Lewis and Representatives
DaPrato and Brett as well
as legal counsel Lauren Tarasuk from
Koskie Minsky LLP during the course of
the inquest.
Although IATSE members did not
work on the construction of the temporary
staging that collapsed and killed Mr.
Johnson, the IATSE had a vested interest
in the health and safety issues at stake in
the inquest, as both an expert and leader
in the live performance industry. For
this reason, IATSE actively participated
in the inquest by engaging in pointed
and relevant cross-examinations of all
witnesses and by calling Representative
DaPrato as a witness to give evidence
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